I’ve seen a handful of excellent independent bottlings from this rising-star South African distillery (Holmes Cay in particular), but their first official distillery bottling to hit the US market is on its own level altogether. The Shaldon is, quite simply, a singular expression of white rum. There’s nothing else like it. This high-ester, cane juice stunner is made from hand-cut cane straight from the farm surrounding the distillery. Month-long fermentations with ambient yeasts, double pot distillation, and bottling at uncut still strength of 63% ABV all contribute to arguably the most impressive rum distillery debut of recent memory. Description is a fool’s errand, but I’ll try. The wildly complex nose can keep you occupied all day, starting off super grassy and funky with petrol, rubber tires, and mineral spirits as just a few of the features vying for attention. It takes a tropical turn with some air, as notes of bananas foster, green papaya, and mango sorbet emerge. The incredibly racy texture supports a great industrial core on the palate, where loads of tropical fruits balance the funk perfectly. So vibrant, it shows more wild complexity with flavors of lemongrass, high-toned tarragon, and caramel apple, as the super-long finale of orange creamsicle and peach pit leaves you shaking your head in wonder. There, I did my best, but the only choice is to try it yourself. My words can’t do it justice.
95 points, Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer (Nov 2025)
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